358 Days To Find True Happiness
by sunflowergem
Summary: RokuXi He was a runaway who found work at Organization XIII. She was the partner he had fallen for. Now, with only 358 days left before  he must return home, will he be able to win her over and make his own destiny? An A/U retelling of 358/2 Days. R&R!
1. Chapter 1: 358 Days

358 Days

By SunflowerGem

_**A/N: Okay! Now for a real story. Since it's summer I'll be updating on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, or sooner if I get the urge to post. Please note this isn't the EXACT story. I've rewritten it in more of a medieval setting, but in such that still retained the classic style of KH. Also note that while it's a retelling of 358/2 Days, it will be more story driven on RokuXi, so if you don't like the pairing, don't read this, okay? Nothing bad, just some cute stuff to make the plot not as monotonous as in the game (I loved every second though) so yeah, thanks for clicking on this and please take the time to Read and Review!**_

Roxas stared around his room, which was decorated simply and plainly with gray walls and white furniture. It was strange not to be in his own bedroom, which he had outfitted with trinkets and every color of the rainbow. But this was his life now, at least for a year.

Truth be told, he did have reason for leaving. As the only son of his county's ruler, he had always been told what to do. To everyone around him, he was the perfect boy. To his father, however, he was a failure. Of course he had put up with him during childhood, but once teenaged years hit, he was through with all this crap. He started practicing with his Keyblade instead of attending important meetings and hanging out with friends until he was forced to come home. Becoming more rebellious each day, Roxas had angered his father until he had been banned from everything but breathing.

Then there was the fact that he would someday obtain his father's status. Even him leaving could not escape that. He did not want to have anything to do with his "family blood" but by law he was forced to take his father's place the day he turned 18. He hated this looming threat which had hung over him his whole life. And the day he did become a legal adult he took off from home. But he knew it wouldn't last. They would find him.

As much as he hated to admit it, he didn't know much about the world outside his house. He was dreadfully inexperienced when it came to normal life. Being a strong fighter, thieves were nothing to worry about, but when it came to life, he was completely baffled.

Of course his mother, who had always fretted over him, had contacted him and told him of a neighboring country he could find work and home using his skills as a Keyblade wielder. That "country" turned out to be some dark world with a bounty hunter firm called "Organization XIII". She had also told him that if he gave his father some time to cool off, she was sure he could come back.

"As if I would" the teenager muttered to himself.

But now it seemed that things had gotten a little better, as his reached into his pocket and clutched the latest note from his mother. The last part of which still lingered in his mind.

_I know you turned 18 last week, but I've convinced your father to wait one year, but after that we'll be forced to make you assume your position as head of this household. Please Roxas, do your best. For yourself, and for me.  
>Love you always, Mom<em>

That was seven days ago. Roxas knew he had only one year, no 358 days, to make his own life, or else he would be doomed to be a stuffy nobleman forever. Even if he didn't go back, they would come looking for him. There was no escaping it. But at least he had some time to be free.

"_So that's why I'm here."_ He thought, still taking in his surroundings.

"Yo! New kid! You done unpacking?" A tall, slim man with bright red hair said, entering his room.

Roxas jumped in surprise, "Uhhh…. Yes sir." he replied, a little nervous.

"Ah, good! Then you better go report to Saix, he hates people being late. _Especially_ rookies."

"Ummm…. Yes sir. I'll go right away" Roxas didn't really know what to say. Other than to his friends he never talked much, and almost never to adults. He began to walk towards the door awkwardly and just as he was about to leave the man spoke out again.

"Hey new kid! Don't be so stiff, it'll get you killed around here. You'll be fine, just relax, okay? Oh! And my name's Axel. A-X-E-L, got it memorized?"

"A-X-E-L. Got it. Thank you, Axel, I'm Roxas."

"Well nice to meet cha' Roxas, I hope I'll see you around

"Definatly. Ummm…. Do you actually know where Saix is? I'm still a little lost."

"Down the hall, last door on your right. Good luck."

Roxas called a "Thanks!" as he began walking down the hall. He saw many passageways spiraling off downwards and he noted that this place was much bigger than it looked. As he approached the end of the hallway he took a right. The door opened to a large room adorned with only a few sofas. Two men were sitting on one in a far corner playing a card game, while another strummed a sitar looking bored. As he stared around he didn't notice a tall man walk up behind him.

"You're late, rookie."

Roxas spun around to see a tall man with blue hair and a scar across his face glaring down upon him.

"I-I'm sorry sir." He said rather lamely

"I knew I shouldn't have sent Axel to see how you were doing. It seems his work ethic has already worn off on you." The man sighed and handed Roxas a piece of paper with a few lines of information written on it. "Can't be helped now though. You can use a Keyblade can't you?"

"Yes sir."

"Good, I'm assigning Axel to teach you for now. But I expect you to hold your own in a few days."

"Thank you."

"Get to work."

Roxas nodded and turned back towards the door he came from to find Axel. But before he could reach for the knob it opened and a small girl about his age came through the door. She wore the same uniform black cloak that he did; only it fit her more like a dress. Her fair skin was framed by raven black hair that shone as it caught the light. She tilted her head and gave him a quizzical look.

"You new?"

"Yeah…" Roxas gazed at her "My names Roxas." Roxas felt the words slip out rather slow and his heart pound. What was wrong with him? As a noblemen, he'd been introduced to countless girls. But this was different. Almost enthral-

"Uhh… Roxas?"

"Yes?"

"You're in my way."

"Oh… Sorry." Roxas felt his cheeks flush as he stepped to the side.

"No problem. I'll see you around, okay?" She walked past him before turning around to flash him a smile. "Hope you like it here."

He watched as she accepted a mission from Saix and teleported using a dark cloud of smoke.

"Roxas! You okay?"

Roxas snapped out of his daydream to find Axel was standing beside him.

"Y-yes, I just met someone and I was just thinking about them."

"Oh? Who?"

"I'm not sure… She had had dark hair and blue eyes though. You know her?"

"Xion? I can't get her to say more than two words to me. Larxene used to train her to be a Keyblade assassin just like you, but she couldn't get her to say much either. I'm surprised she talked to you."

"Really? She was nice."

"Well glad you've got a buddy, but we've got to get going on a mission or I'll hear about it from Saix."

Roxas smiled "Alright! I'm ready to go."

Roxas stood with Axel in an empty city square. He saw a vibrant sun looming low on the horizon in the distance. It's strong rays reflected off the many bricks that made up the town, causing them to almost glow.

"Where are we?" He asked. He'd never been very far from his home town, much less his home country, and Axel could have swooped them anywhere with his teleporting magic.

"Quiet place called Twilight Town. It's about 12 units west of our base, and it's nighttime for them right now so we don't have to worry about pedestrians."

"Nighttime? But the sun hasn't even set all the way."

"In this place the sun never sets, don't ask me why though."

"That's…. different."

"You'll be surprised about how different countries are from each other. Each one has a unique population and lifestyle. But you'll get used to it, don't worry."

Roxas nodded, still a little confused, but adapting.

"Anyway, let's get started with your training. You got a Keyblade right?"

"Yep." Roxas held out his hand, the air shimmered for a minute then a Keyblade flashed into view.

"Okay! Now today we won't be fighting anything, but keep your eyes open none the less. Do you know how to use magic?"

Roxas stiffened. Magic hadn't been required in his school. That was only for certain apprentices. He thought back to a few things his friends once told him, put up his palm and…

Fwooshhhhhhh…..szlzlzl

A small spark emerged from his hand, looking wimpy as it tried to stay alive, but went out few seconds later.

"Ummm… I'm working on it." Roxas said, embarrassed. He stared at Axel who stared blankly back at him. Silence stretched for what seemed like forever before Axel let out a small sound that soon exploded out of his mouth.

"BWAAAAHAAAAHAAA!"

"Axel! What's the matter? Are you okay?"

Axel stared at him, perplexed.

"Roxas….I'm laughing!"

"Oh... I guess I forgot what that sounded like."

"You don't know what laughter is? We may be heartless bounty hunters, but here at the Organization we like to have a good time."

"Um… Okay. I'll try."

"Yeah…." Axel seemed a bit confused but continued on "You do that. Anyhow, about that magic, we need to work on it or you'll never be able to defeat Heartless."

"Heartless? What are those? I thought we were bounty hunters."

"Well yes, but often we're hired to take out mysterious monsters called Heartless. No one's really sure what they are, but they're a real nuisance to locals, so that's where assassins like us come in. We almost never kill real people, and killing heartless brings in quite a paycheck."

"Oh…"

"So now about killing them you usually wanna go for the head, unless you can find some other weak spot….."

Axel started explaining everything to him, it was quite confusing to someone so sheltered, but he was able to wrap his head around it. He killed monsters for a living, not his ideal job choice, but fine none the less. He was so absorbed in the lecture, however, that he didn't notice a slim girl slink away from her place in the shadows.

_**A/N: So…. Did you like it? Yes? No? Maybe so? Please review with positive feedback and constructive criticism. And thanks for reading! **_


	2. Chapter 2: Friends?

_**A/N: Hello Again! Well I hope everyone likes my next chapter. I have a habit of writing REALLY late at night, so I hope it turns out okay. Anyways, I want to thank everyone who read my first chapter, and especially those who gave me reviews! (Because I'm the type of person who dances around her room every time she gets one) **_

_**MelodiousFreeshooter: Aww thanks (hugs) you're like the best friend ever.**_

_**Mwaetht: Thank you for the review! I sent you a message, but just to make it clear this is an A/U rewrite of the story, so many things will change. But I'll try and keep as many key events in as possible.**_

_**Terra ForceXIII: I've changed the title. I'm not sure if it's any better, but it's changed none the less. Thanks for always reading my stuff, I appreciate it ^_^!**_

_**And also, before we start, I want to make sure you know that this is definatly not the normal Kingdom Hearts universe. When they talk about different countries it's pretty much an equivalent to different worlds (You probably already figured that out though) just pretend it's a random A/U world where magic exists. With that wrapped up I would also like to point out that I don't own Kingdom Hearts or Square Enix. I'm not sure why anyone would think that I did, but I don't. **_

_**YAY! Story Time:**_

Xion walked over the orange brick road that lead back to her RTC point. She had finished her mission with ease today, and she should have been back at the castle a while ago.

"_But I wanted to see him" _She thought to herself, _"He looks like…" _

Shaking her head, she tried to suppress the unwanted memory. Trying to distract herself, she looked up at the clock tower to see Roxas and Axel dangling their legs over the side railing talking.

"_I should of known Axel would take Roxas up there, he must get lonely coming everyday by himself."_

She felt a twang of envy hit her as she watched them. She had never been invited to do anything with someone. Even as a child she could not remember having any real friends. And now this new kid looked like it was normal for someone to be making friends so naturally. Watching them some more, she saw their distant frames chatting happily. Though silent from her distance away, it looked like Axel had just made some sort of comment and they were now both laughing like they had known each other for their whole lives.

"_Well at least he's not so nervous anymore. And I suppose I should be glad he has a friend"_

Stepping into the dark swirling portal, she looked up one last time to see him smiling, his face highlighted by the setting sun's rays.

"_He really does look like him…"_

"And that, Roxas, is why the sun sets red."

"Pfft. That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard."

"It's the truth I tell you!"

"Yeah right."

They both proceeded to burst out laughing. Axel's random comments made Roxas feel at ease. It felt weird though, talking to somebody like this. He had never talked to anyone about nothing in particular, but it was nice… almost relaxing. Axel was now chatting away about the importance of making sure someone remembered your name. Roxas had to smile at the rant, it was quite humorous.

"_You've gotta like a guy like this. Makes you feel at ease no matter what is troubling you."_

Axel then abruptly stopped his story and got up from his seat on the edge of the clock tower, an idea spreading across his face. He smiled and said:

"Wait right there! I've got a surprise for you!"

"Uh… Okay!"

Roxas watched as he turned the corner, heading back down to ground level. He then turned his attention to the everlasting sunset. It's golden rays flared red where they joined the main body, giving off the illusion that it would set the surrounding hills aflame.

"_This really is a beautiful place."_ He thought. _"I almost wish I could have been born here as a normal kid. How simple and happy my life would be. How perfect…"_

"Hey! I'm back!"

Roxas' thought process was interrupted by Axel's excited voice. He turned to look at his partner… no, his friend, who held two blue ice creams in his hands.

"What are those?" He asked, curious.

"The icing on the cake."

"hm?"

"It's a reward for completing your mission, and for joining the organization." The spikey red-head said, sitting back down next to him. "It's also a symbol of our new friendship, that is, if you want to be friends."

Roxas couldn't remember the last time he had smiled this many times in a day, maybe this year would turn out better than expected. He looked at his new friend and replied;

"Of course!"

"To friendship then." Axel said, holding up his already half-eaten stick.

"To friendship."

Roxas bit down on the blue cream. An overwhelming salt flavor buzzed on his tongue, only to be cooled by a sweet aftertaste. He took several more bites, and was soon used to the unique flavor.

"Well, do you like it?"

"Yes… It's salty, but sweet too."

"It's called Sea Salt Ice Cream. This country is famous for it."

"I can see why" Roxas said, taking another bite. "Hey Axel?"

"Hm?" Axel turned his head to look at his new friend.

"What do you know about Xion?"

"Oh her? She seems to have really made an impression on you. To tell you the truth though, no one know much about her. Even though she's been working here a while, she rarely talks to anyone. I have heard she's from a country called "Radiant Garden" though."

"Radiant Garden… I've heard of that somewhere…"

"I believe she can also use a Keyblade like yo-wait a minute…" Axel grinned at him mischievously. "You like her don't you?"

"W-what? No! I just was wondering what she was like, that's all!"

"Hmm…Whatever you say, Roxas." Axel said with a sarcastic tone in his voice.

"Seriously. I'm telling the truth!

"Kinda strange though, considering you talked to her for barely a minute…"

"I told you that's not what I meant!"

"Ah, I'm just kidding you." Axel said looking down at the younger boy, and ruffling his already messy hair. "You've gotta lighten up, you know that?"

Just then a loud ring echoed through the town from the clock tower, stopping the conversation on top of it.

"Uh oh, we better head back. I'm not in the mood for a Saix-lecture." Axel said bringing up a portal for them. "You ready?"

"Yeah, be right there."

Xion laid down on her side letting the comfortable bed make her tired muscles feel better. She usually was asleep by now, but a question floating around in her mind was keeping her awake.

_Who was Roxas?_

He seemed kind and trustworthy, but she didn't know much about him. He was also an expert with his Keyblade. But why was he here? Where did he come from? And most importantly, why does he look so much like _him_?

She crinkled her face in frustration, but she knew the only way to come up with answers was to get to know him. With her mind made in a conclusion, she allowed her tired eyes to droop low. But before she drifted off to sleep she unconsciously muttered the root of her confusion;

"_Sora…."_

_**A/N: And the plot thickens! Yes I know that I just spent 2 chapters for one day, but now that we have the beginning out of the way we can continue onto the real story (at a faster pace)! I'm going to be introducing a few other characters as well, so stay tuned! **_


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